


one, two, three

by blurring_the_lines



Series: collection [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Before the books, Breathe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27878158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blurring_the_lines/pseuds/blurring_the_lines
Summary: Percy gets in trouble at school
Series: collection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2041193
Kudos: 26





	one, two, three

**Author's Note:**

> Before the books

A ten year old Percy is sitting in the middle row of his Military School, in Science class. Mrs. Jacobsen is walking the aisle, talking about something. Percy doesn’t know what about, because he’s thinking about something more important:

The fact that he hates school.

He hates the teachers, who call him stupid, even though they’re not supposed to, the students, who tell him he has a disability and that he’ll never amount to anything, the bullies, who pick on him for some reason, he still hasn’t figured it out, the fake friends, who, when they realize he doesn’t have video games or money, ditch him and call him names. He even hates the building that's old and crumbling and reminds him of Upper East Side New York, where all the bad people live, and where he just so happens to live. 

He remembers what the teachers say, _You’re too stupid to read_ , or _Stop tapping, you’re bothering the students_. It’s not his fault. He can’t help it. What the bullies say, _I’m surprised your mommy hasn’t left you like you’re daddy did_. 

He tries. So hard. He tells his mom he’s got friends and, when she asks who, he says Jimmy Felix, even though Jimmy stopped hanging out with him last month. He sugarcoats it. Tells her it’s okay, he’s sorry he got kicked out, _again_ , he’ll do better this time, he promises. He can never keep that promise, though. She tell him it’s okay. Tells him that she knows he’ll do better, and she loves him, and nothings ever going to change that. 

He’s not sure why she loves him. How she knows nothings ever going to change that, why nothing _has_ changed it. He doesn’t know what she sees. But it’s definitely not what he sees.

He’s sitting in Science, thinking about this, in a Military Reform school he doesn’t want to be in, learning something he doesn’t want to learn about. _How will this help him when he’s older._

“There is one important thing people need in order to live. Human contact” He sits up, confused. What was she talking about?

“Without human contact, especially at a young age like yours, people don’t feel like the world is safe. They don’t feel like it’s a warm, loving, welcoming place. On average, scientists say that someone needs a least three instances of human contact. Each day. Do you think you’re getting what you need, and do you think that it impacts you as much as they say?”

Percy frowns, thinking about this. He doesn’t get three physical touches a day. But he was fine...right?

_You have no friends, idiot. People love picking on you, including your teacher, and you’ve been kicked out of every school you’ve ever been in less than a year. Do you really think you’re fine?_

He doesn’t realize that Mrs. Jacobsen has been asking him to answer her question, or that she’s behind him now, reaching for him. 

She grabs his collar, brushing her fingers against his neck and for a second he panics, because he remembers when Gabe grabbed his neck. How, he couldn’t breathe, and now he can’t breathe and he’s just telling himself to b r e a t h e.

In, out, in, out. _One physical contact._

But he can’t. Because he keeps thinking about Gabe and slimy fingers and he can’t shake it off, and-

He’s hit the teacher. Not hard, but he’s slapped her hand away, and he doesn’t even realize it. 

_Two physical contacts_ , Percy thinks bitterly. Because he knows he’s in trouble.

She narrows her eyes, grabs his arm, telling him he’s being sent to the principal office, and how it’s the fourth detention he’s gotten, it’s his fourth strike. Which means he’s o u t.

 _Three physical contacts_.


End file.
